Skater who lit Olympic flame took racist shot at Obama

Feb. 7, 2014
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Irina Rodnina, right, helped light the Olympic flame Friday night and then saw a controversy ignited about a racist tweet she posted about President Obama last year. / Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

SOCHI, Russia - Less than five months before she lit the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Games, former Russian gold medal-winning figure skater Irina Rodnina shared on Twitter a racially insensitive doctored photo of President Obama and the First Lady.

The image, which Rodnina shared in a tweet last September and quickly deleted, superimposed an image of a banana in front of a picture of Obama, seated next to his wife with his mouth full of food.

It resurfaced on social media shortly after the ceremony kicking off the Games concluded Friday night, igniting a controversy. With limited access to Olympic officials at such a late hour, the media turned to Konstantin Ernst, the chief creative director for the production. In a previously scheduled press conference to discuss the show, he was asked about the tweet. A television director, he almost certainly would have no say in the selection of those carrying the torch.

" I didn't read the Twitter of Miss Rodnina," he said, "but she's the greatest athlete and the only figure skater who won three gold medals and as (IOC chief) Thomas Bach said, Olympic games have nothing to do with politics. All of us remember her as a great athlete."

Rodnina, 64, who lived in the U.S. for many years, said she had been sent the picture by American friends.

"Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, and you should answer for your own hang-ups," she wrote in September according to the Guardian paper of London.

The tweet was condemned by the United States ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, who said on his Twitter at the time that Rodnina was guilty of "outrageous behavior, which only brings shame to her parliament and country."

Rodnina is considered one of the greatest female figure skaters in the sport's history. She was a dominant force in pairs skating for more than a decade, taking 10 world championships in a row from 1969-78 and winning gold in the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Olympic games.

She has also taken a role in Russian political life: Rodnina was one of 42 citizens named to Russia's public chamber by President Vladimir Putin in 2005. She is also a member of Putin's political party.